Foraging and Forward

“But finer still…is another glorious spring day in which one heads out to search for the first crowns of dandelion.” Joe Eck and Wayne Winterrowd

NASTURTIUMS. Tropaeoleum majus. All Nasturtium photos by Veronica Tyson Strait

This spring has been a time of fear and uncertainty. Foraging for wild food is a comfort, a reminder that the earth can be a provider. Dandelions and ramps are two plants to harvest early in the spring.

The dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, is easily recognized by its jagged toothy leaves. The species name refers to the fact that it was listed in medieval monastery pharmacopoeia; it was officially a plant beneficial to human health. The dandelion is a powerhouse full of vitamins and minerals and it is an anti-oxident, anti-inflammatory, and detoxifier. The bitter taste of the leaves is an indication that they are loaded with phytonutrients, compounds with the ability to reduce risk cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and dementia. As wild, edible plants have been bred for milder flavors, phytonutrients have diminished.

Young leaves, picked in early spring, give a salad a nice healthy kick. While I was reading a mystery novel by Martin Walker, I came across a use of dandelions that I was unaware of. “The butter was starting to bubble as he returned to his stove, where he added some crushed garlic and the little boutons de pissenlit, the dandelion buds, to the pan and began stirring the eggs with a large fork.” I will have to try this dandelion omelet.

RAMPS. Allium tricoccum

Ramps. Allium tricoccum, are spring ephemerals in the onion family. There are a few other similar nicknames: rams, ramsons, or, understandably, little stinkers. The whole plant, bulb and leaves, is edible. The problem with picking ramps is that they have become a popular gourmet food and have been overharvested. To make matters worse, ramps are slow multipliers. By 1995 the sale and possession of ramps was outlawed in Quebec and other localities have restricted harvesting. Two ways to protect the plants is to take only one leaf per plant and to leave the bulbs in the ground.

“I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.” Ruth Stout

In the cultivated garden May is the month of major planting. Every year I grow nasturtiums, one of my favorite plants. I love the wrinkly seeds, like miniature brains, the irregularly circular leaves, and the bright spicy blooms. Nasturtiums, Tropaeoleum majus, are native to the Andes Mountains of Peru, where they are perennial trailing vines. Seeds of nasturtiums were imported to Europe in the mid seventeenth century and many cultivars have been developed, often with bushier habits. ‘Alaska’ has the usual red, orange, and yellow flowers with handsome white and green marbled foliage. The blooms of ‘Milkmaid’ are creamy white; ‘Tip Top Apricot’ has soft orange; ‘Mahogany’ has brick red.

The Latin root of the word nasturtium translates as nose twister. The spicy aroma of the foliage and flowers is a hint to the flavor of both edible parts. Its relative, watercress, shares the name (rorippa nasturtium) and the spiciness. Bring in nasturtiums for salad but leave some for a windowsill bouquet.

Greens are valuable as nutritious food from the garden. Some are striking as foliage plants. Mix up your planting or plant flowers and greens side by side. Bluegreen kale paired with white cosmos, or orange chard with purple salvia, or alternated red and green lettuce would liven up the vegetable beds. A stunning heirloom Romaine lettuce from the 1700s called ‘Flashy trout back’ or ‘Freckles’ or in the original German, ‘Forellenschluss’, has green leaves with maroon speckles. This year I plan to pair it with lime green nicotiana.

Another beautiful foliage plant in the garden is rhubarb. The unfurled leaves

show life early in the spring, bulges of red emerging from the soil. Until the early nineteenth century rhubarb was used only as a medicinal plant. A new species from Siberia was introduced and crossed with the old, which produced a more palatable rhubarb. Within thirty years it became very popular, especially in England and the United States. Strawberry rhubarb pies and rhubarb fools are delicious. I love rhubarb jam made with the stalks, sugar, candied ginger, and star anise.

By the end of May the soil is warm, the frost is gone, and it is safe to plant out tender tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, basil, and dahlias. All around new growth, new life, and hope abound. Onward.

“May: The lilacs are in bloom. Forget yourself.” Marty Rubin

May, 2020